1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for discharging radioactive waste filled and stored in its storage container therefrom with safety and security.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, various radioactive waste solids unavoidably produced in nuclear power stations, such as polyethylene or paper sheets, rags, discarded working clothes, gloves and the like are pressed and filled in storage containers such as drum cans which are stored in storehouses. In order to prevent these radioactive waste solids from decaying or decomposing, scattering to surroundings and causing fire and in order to greatly condense them or increase their densities, these waste solids are generally burned to ashes which are together with incombustible substances are packed by cement or asphalt or capsuled by glass. For this purpose, the radioactive waste pressed and stored in the storage containers such as drum cans must be safely and securely taken out of the storage containers.
Up to the present, the radioactive waste has been manually taken out of the storage container. However, as the waste is tightly pressed and filled in the storage container, it takes much time and labor to take the waste out of the container and what is worse still operators are likely to expose to radioactive radiation emitted directly from the radioactive waste or by inhaling the dusty radioactive waste.
Screw type discharging apparatuses may be also considered as mechanical ones. With such screw type apparatuses, however, as the radioactive waste filled in the storage container is discharged in the mass at a time, it is difficult to remove incombustible substances from the waste before burning it and therefore uniformly burning of the waste cannot be achieved.